U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that GERALD URSIN, JR., age 63, of New Orleans and a retired Chief Deputy of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (“OPSO”), was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to a one-count Bill of Information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced URSIN to three years probation, a $10,000 fine, $25,178 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment.

According to court documents, beginning in 2009 and continuing until January 2014, URSIN and others participated in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. URSIN admitted that in his role as a Chief Deputy in the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, he engaged in a scheme to defraud local entities and events, including Mardi Gras Krewes, music and food festivals, and sporting events, by padding the billing documents with names of individuals who did not in fact provide any security services (“Ghost Employees”).

Additionally, URSIN admitted that after the fraudulently inflated invoices were submitted via interstate wires, a portion of the overbilled amount was given to him in the form of checks made payable to family members under the fraudulent guise of payments for detail work that in fact did not take place.

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office in investigating this matter and acknowledged the assistance provided by the Louisiana Legislative Auditors. Assistant Attorney Sean Toomey was in charge of the prosecution.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud from a person or an organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of storm victims or have knowledge of waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud toll free at: (866) 720-5721. You can also fax information to: (225) 334-4707 or e-mail it to: disaster@leo.gov

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